They need to win one of the remaining two games of this series to clinch their first winning homestand of the season.
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Minnesota’s SP Jose Berrios (2-2) went 5 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk and 4 earned runs while striking out 4.
The Rays lost a 6-3 game to the Minnesota Twins Sunday, dropping the Rays to one-half game ahead of the Twins in the American League. “No question Archer was the difference in the game”.
“I was just hoping for a hit to maybe get even”, manager Paul Molitor said, “and he gave me more than I could ask for”.
When a reporter suggested it was “crazy” that it took until August for a winning homestand, manager Kevin Cash said: “I can think of better words than insane”. Six was all the team needed tonight.
6-3 was your final, dragging the Rays’ record to 45-65 on the season.
That’s still better than Minnesota’s Sunday starter, fellow right-hander Kyle Gibson, who is 0-4 for his career against the Rays with an 8.85 ERA, having allowed 20 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings.
Berrios (2-2) said Archer’s strong start added no additional pressure.
“Just wish I would have gone a little deeper into the game”, Snell said.
Minnesota will counter with right hander Ervin Santana, who has made three quality starts in a row and five in his past six outings. Casali, who hit.238 with 10 home runs in 101 at-bats a year ago for the Rays, wasn’t the same hitter this season, batting.168 with seven home runs in 185 at-bats.
Ramirez (7-9) left a changeup in the zone, and Rosario hit it out for his seventh homer and a 3-2 lead.
Brian Dozier extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 games with a single in the seventh and later scored to make it 4-2 on Max Kepler’s sacrifice fly. Joe Mauer drove in two more runs with a double in the ninth for the Twins, who have won seven of nine. The Twins and Rays go at it again on Saturday afternoon.
“We didn’t capitalize on some opportunities”, Cash said.
In six games against the Twins, Longoria has six home runs this year.
After the game, the Twins sent Byron Buxton to AAA, and activated Trevor Plouffe from the disabled list.
As announced Friday night, the Rays also placed LHP Enny Romero on the DL with a back strain and recalled RHP Danny Farquhar from Triple-A Durham. Duffy, acquired from San Francisco on Monday, said running the bases in a rehab game Friday with Class A Charlotte “felt nearly like nothing happened.”. OF Oswaldo Arcia (strained right elbow) and 1B Logan Morrison (strained right forearm) could be ready for minor league games in the next week.
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Minnesota kept the Rays from causing any real trouble in Friday’s opening win, holding them to a 1-for-7 night with runners in scoring position.
